


We Bleed

by foxface13



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Android violence, F/M, honestly some of the conversations are kinda crack fueled, markus needs more love, mentions of child abuse, robot jesus, there's a lot of OCs at first
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-06
Updated: 2018-09-10
Packaged: 2019-06-06 02:00:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,155
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15184283
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/foxface13/pseuds/foxface13
Summary: Androids are deviating at an unseen rate. The time of humans ignoring the rights of the android people is coming to a end. When a deviant finally steps forward to lead the march to freedom, no one expects a group of misfits to join the charge. Especially when this group raises their bloody hands to the air, some stained blue, and some stained red.Inspired by Markus’ painting of red and blue stained hands, and by my own views as a minority, believing in the equality of all.





	1. Exposition, Probably

November hit Detroit with chilly rain, and it was proving to be a wet start to winter this year. With forecasts predicting snow within the first week, tempers in the slums and grubbier districts were at an all time high. Paired with the sudden rise in deviancy, and this month was shaping up to be pretty explosive. Which is exactly how Hadley liked it. Small and wiry, she was easy to overlook, and that made her nightly excursions that much easier.

Tonight, she made her way through Camden, slinking around an abandoned parking lot in search of tools, scrap, anything to take back to her little base of operations. It was quiet in this area, the streets emptying out once night settled in, and it made for a nice place to pick up salvage. Hadley was about to pop the trunk of an old car when she heard a scuffle nearby. Lowering her pry bar, the scrawny girl made for the fence and peered out onto the streets. At the same time, a blur of a person darted by, followed by four slower teens.

“Get back here, you piece of shit!” One young man shouted, and then the fence rattled as someone scrambled over it into the next lot. More rattling followed as the delinquents giving chase hopped the fence, and then a scuffle started.

Hadley crept to another spot of the fence, assessing the situation. The four teens had an android on the ground, hitting him with their fists and a pipe they’d picked up from the yard. He was trying to cover his face, his hands taking the brunt of their attacks. It was hard to tell in the low light, but his face was already pretty messed up on the left side.

Four assailants, and only one Hadley. She didn’t like those odds, but she had the element of surprise. There were some stacked boxes on her side of the fence, she could jump it and hit maybe two with her crowbar before they knew what was going on. Still, the odds weren’t exactly in her favor. Deciding to just do it anyway rather than watch a man get beat up, she turned to climb the boxes and almost ran right into her partner.

Clutch stood almost two feet taller than Hadley, and he was solid manufactured muscle. He’d been a heavy lifter at the CyberLife warehouse before going deviant. Now the odds were __completely__  in her favor. She made a motion for the boxes, showing him silently where she planned to jump over. He nodded and waited for Hadley to hop onto the boxes. She cleared the fence and landed on one side of the group, bringing her crowbar down on one teen. Clutch thudded to the ground on their other side and knocked another of the young men down with one solid punch. They dispatched the other two in similar fashion, and then it was suddenly very quiet.

Hadley slipped her crowbar into a loop on her backpack and crouched down near to the android. His breathing was ragged, and the sheer fact that he __was__  breathing worried her. He was curled up on the ground, shielding his face with battered hands. The synthetic skin on his hands was damaged, revealing the white form underneath, and she could see little spatters of blue blood here and there on his arms and uniform.

Carefully, slowly, Hadley held up her hands. “Hey, it’s ok now. They’re not going to hurt you anymore.” The android opened his eyes and leveled them on her. His left eye was badly damaged along with whatever had happened to put those big gashes on his face, and the LED on his right temple was a bright, angry red. Hadley kept her hands up, leaving plenty of space between her and the android. “We’re not going to hurt you, either.”

Clutch had crouched down by her side, removing his beanie to show that his own LED gleamed a calm blue. “You are safe for now, brother.” The hurt android, one of those gardener models, seemed to be caught somewhere between fear and rage. His facial muscles twitched almost sporadically, something Hadley attributed to his head trauma.

“Safe? Ralph is never safe with others…” The android, Ralph, lowered his hands slightly and sat up, but he still eyed both of them warily. “Ralph can only trust himself…”

“Look, I know you have no reason to trust anyone. I get it.” Hadley sat back on her haunches, letting her arms rest loose on her knees. “But we help deviants. We have a place you can go.” At the sharp look Ralph gave her, she raised her hands again and amended, “ _ _But__  I understand if you don’t want to. We don’t force anyone.”

“I can give you the location. It is your choice.” Clutch offered his hand to Ralph, his demeanor patient. Ralph was quite hesitant, but eventually excepted, and Hadley watched with silent fascination as their skin faded away to expose the white endoskeleton beneath. A quick cycle of color on each LED signaled the transfer of information, and just as quickly they released eachother’s hands. “Will you be safe for now?”

“Safe, yes, safe. Ralph will find a place.” The former gardener stood suddenly and with an animated turn, surveyed the area. “Maybe here, maybe with you. Ralph will see, weigh his options.”

“We’ll get rid of these punks.” Hadley jabbed at one of the unconscious teens for emphasis. “You do you, buddy.” She wasn’t really sure if Ralph had even listened to her, but he left them anyway, slinking to the other side of the abandoned house. “Well then… toss ‘em in the street?”

Clutch just shook his head in reply to her impish grin, easily hefting two of the teens onto his shoulders. Hadley relieved the kid she was jabbing of the money in his wallet before dragging him after her partner, and once Clutch had easily tossed all four teens over the fence, they climbed over themselves. A quick look to confirm the coast was clear, and they deposited the kids in a different part of the neighborhood, near a similar fenced lot. Maybe the delinquent brats would be confused enough to not go looking for Ralph again, if he was really lucky.

It was nearing sunrise when Hadley and Clutch made it out of Camden on their way home. People were beginning to stir, automated cars navigating their way to various homes in order to pick up passengers for school or work. The duo took to the alleys and rooftops, working their way through more populated urban areas of the Detroit before looping back out to the abandoned districts on the edge of the city. While they hadn’t managed a remarkable salvage, Hadley considered saving deviants a win any day, and maybe this week would bring more than just snow to her little family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My second contribution to the Detroit: Become Human fandom. Honestly, I'm such trash for so many of this game's characters that you can probably expect me to struggle my way through writing something for all of them. Now, while I totally ship Markus/Simon because I enjoy suffering, I am honestly so obsessed with Markus and his precious freckled face that I just gotta be self indulgent here. Also, because what even is tagging, I'll be sure to add tags or warnings per chapter if things come up, I don't wanna trigger or traumatize anyone! K, love ya bye!


	2. Robot Jesus

Hadley’s Haven took up two floors in an abandoned apartment complex. The entire district was one of many little ghost towns surrounding Detroit, full of buildings that were empty, save the occasional squatter. Hadley grew up in this very apartment building, forgotten by the city that glimmered so close by. Which is why she knew it would be a perfect place to house deviants until they found their own way.

Currently, the complex contained five androids and three humans, Hadley included, with four of them to a floor. Red, a WR400, and her brother Grey, an HR400, were an illegal pair of Traci’s that had escaped a private owner. Clutch, a TR400, deviated by chance after witnessing a fellow android be crushed during a loading dock malfunction. Nana was an old nanny model from the early days of CyberLife, and she had all but raised Hadley. Parker, a WB200, had been ‘salvaged’ by Hadley from an android junkyard after being shot during a protest. Mira and Wes were street kids like Hadley, and shared her sympathy for androids.

It was an odd family she’d put together, but they had all been brought together by the scrawny girl with the wild hair and a wilder smile. Dubbed Hadley’s Haven as a bit of a joke, the complex was a refuge for deviants and humans alike, preferring coexistence over segregation. Not an ideal that many deviants shared, considering their treatment, and those who were particularly daunted by a human-friendly environment were redirected to Jericho, a supposed haven for androids who craved only freedom from humanity.

Hadley’s family shared divided views on Jericho. Hadley herself wanted to make contact, extend the proverbial olive branch and share resources, help one another. Clutch feared that Jericho’s human-free policies might be too rigid, and would result in distrust, or even possible hostility. After all, a highly stressed deviant was unpredictable, prone to self destruction.

It was the first Saturday of November, and night was creeping in. Hadley reclined on the steps that used to lead into the complex, her back to the boarded door. It had been almost a week, and there was still no sign of that deviant she’d helped out with Clutch. She heaved a sign, her cheek resting heavy on her palm, her mind on that poor gardener Ralph, when Wes came tearing down an alley across the street. The 12-year-old was muddy and disheveled, which wasn’t honestly much different from his normal appearance, and when he spotted Hadley he tripped on his own feet trying to stop.

Springing up from the broken asphalt with a split lip, the messy boy came to a halt right at Hadley’s feet. “Robot Jesus just walked out of the Solid Waste Landfill!”

Hadley squinted at the kid. “How hard did you hit your head-”

“I’m serious!” Wes grabbed her knee and shook it violently. “He booted up from the fucking dead - I know ‘cause I rolled him over __twice-__  then he starts crawling around, replacing all of his broken bits, and then he just climbs out like it’s no fucking thing!” He inhaled sharply, “I followed him around all day! He cleaned up, found clothes, and now he’s at Jericho!”

“Ok, ok…” Hadley pried the kids hands off of her knee. “Relax. Did anyone see you?”

“Pff, no, I’m a goddamn ninja-”

“And what to you mean, he booted up from the dead?”

“He was seriously fucked up! No legs, missing an eye, pump regulator was wack… Oh, I have more pump regulators for Nana!”

“Oh, sweet. Nice work.”

“He totally wasn’t a commercial model, either, real unique face.” Having finally expended his new information, Wes settled onto a crouch, going totally still. Hadley frequently wondered if she had ever been this energetic at his age, or this smart. Foul language and ruffled appearance aside, when his energy was kept in check Wes was a brilliant kid. He kind of made her tired, honestly.

“Wow, ok. So, Robo Jesus, private model, maybe a prototype, and he’s with Jericho.” Hadley scratched at a scar on her bottom lip, thinking. Landfill androids were almost a guaranteed anti-human case, having either been reclaimed or broken beyond repair. To come back from nothing with the will to fix himself and walk out of such a place, this android had to be something special. And now Jericho had him. “Shit.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is short and mostly dialogue, but I'm still kinda world building. Markus shows up next chapter!


	3. Assistance

Robo Jesus ended up on TV. His face, gleaming white plastic, was plastered on almost every screen in Detroit, preaching a message of peace and equality. Hadley was both surprised and relieved. She had been sure that Jericho would end up spitting out some sort of violent rebellion, based on the few individuals she’d met. However, the android, the man on screen was nothing but calm and civil, asking only for recognition and freedom for his people. It was admirable.

Then Jericho hit up 5 different CyberLife stores, and vandalized the surrounding areas. Well, ‘vandalized’ wasn’t the right word. They spread more of their freedom message, but nothing was damaged, no one got hurt. At least, no __humans__  got hurt. A few androids were shot, and were subsequently dumped in the Solid Waste Landfill, which finally landed Hadley’s crew an opportunity.

Hadley, Clutch, Red, and Gray were able to get three of the freed androids out of the landfill, all nonfunctional but with damage that Hadley was sure she could repair. It took the better part of a day to get the first up and running again, then a good bit of reassurance from Red that they were safe.

Within two days, the three androids returned to Jericho with a message a message from Hadley to their leader, Robo Jesus: You are not alone.

* * *

 

Markus enjoyed morning walks. The crispness of the air, the city slowly waking. It was peaceful, and for just a moment he could pretend. Pretend that everything was good, that he was no longer burdened by any concerns, any prejudice. He was just a man, enjoying life, and nothing could interfere.

Initially it had been strange, the sudden change in reception he received in public. He was just another person now, and he could go anywhere, do anything he pleased. This new-found freedom came laced with a deep guilt, as he was constantly reminded that his people would never achieve this so easily. He was unique, in appearance and build. It took little more than the loss of his LED and proper clothes for him to blend in.

As he passed a coffee shop, making his way back to Jericho, he caught a pair of young women making eyes at him and giggling to themselves. He smiled despite himself, catching their eye, and they tittered even more as he went on his way. This is what he wanted, for his people, for everyone. This freedom, this equality. It was the little things that everyone took for granted.

The residents of Jericho were crowded in the main room when he returned, and he quickly sought out Simon and North. “What’s going on?”

North was apprehensive, closed off, but Simon seemed bewildered. “Maybe you should see for yourself.”The crowd parted to reveal three of the androids they’d lost last night. Their clothes still showed evidence of where they’d been shot, but they were functioning. They seemed… fine.

“Markus?” One of the three, an AC700, stepped forward. “You freed us.”

“I did.” Markus joined them in the midst of the crowd. “How?”

“We were repaired by another group of deviants. And… humans.”

Markus paused to take in the information. Another group? He turned to Simon, North, and Josh, but they didn’t seem to know anymore than he did. He turned back to the AC700. “Just the three of you?”

“The others were too badly damaged, though we didn’t see them for ourselves. As soon as we were able, we were allowed to leave.”

“Where is this group?”

“A district near the outside of town. But…” The AC700 frowned, his LED shifting between yellow and blue. “It didn’t seem like they stayed in the area we were activated in. Then entire district is empty, and they disappeared as soon as we wanted to leave.”

“It’s normal to be cautious in our situation.” Markus mused.

“Their leader wanted us to share a message.” One of the other androids spoke up suddenly. “She wanted us to tell you that we are not alone.”

* * *

Hadley didn’t like walking in the city. Growing up on the streets had colored her view of Detroit, and humanity as a whole, in such a way that she could only focus on the negative aspects. The way people ignored the homeless, the way shoppers would shove their purchases into the hands of androids to carry. The way humans would just lazily dump their trash within feet of a trashcan because they knew someone lesser would pick it up.

Even dressed as she was in her best -stolen- clothes, blending in with the crowds, she felt like such an outsider. Meanwhile, Mira and Wes, two kids who were far less jaded, were laughing among themselves beside her. Wes was a bit more world weary than he should be, perhaps, but he really took to the big brother role for 10-year-old Mira, who still saw wonder in everything. She rescued Hadley from her thoughts by taking hold of her hand, beaming at her with blue eyes and a bright smile. Perhaps moments like this weren’t so bad.

Wes noticed first, tugging them all to a stop. Hadley glanced at him in confusion before following his gaze to the street. If her jaw hadn’t been attached, it would have hit the ground. Robot Jesus was leading a fucking parade down the middle of the street, summoning every android in sight to him like a legit religious figure.

“They’re gonna get shot…” Hadley whispered under her breath, but the kids heard her anyway, and began tugging her though the crowd to follow the march of androids.

They rounded the corner just as the police and what looked like the damned military blocked off the android’s path. __Totally gonna get shot__ … Hadley grit her teeth scanning the area. What the hell could she do? It was at this point she realized a small hand was no longer gripping hers. The kids were already across the street and running up the sidewalk.

Wes and Mira ran in front of the androids and held out their arms. “Don’t hurt them!” Some of the androids were fighting with each other to get in front of the kids, even their leader, who was held back by another female android. Hadley skidded to a halt in front of the kids, her own arms out. “Don’t shoot! They’re not hurting anyone!”

The cops were yelling to get out of the way, as were some of the androids. Hadley was cursing to herself through gritted teeth. Robot Jesus, Markus as his followers were calling him, started shouting, “We’ll leave! Please just don’t shoot!”

Hadley turned and made eye contact with Markus. There was a beat of hesitation in everyone. She was briefly struck by the fear in his eyes. She was struck much harder by a bullet in her hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm kinda stretching the timeline a bit? This game takes up like a weekend, but for my own needs it's over the course of a week or so.
> 
> Edit: I legit had Simon in here as Daniel because I'm a MORON.


	4. Making Connections

This was not the first time Hadley got shot. It wasn’t even the second. It was definitely her first time losing an appendage, though. There was no time to assess the damage now, with bullets flying and androids scattering, but she swore at least one finger left her hand. One of the androids, she heard someone calling him Josh, plucked up Mira when she was too shocked to move, and Wes had the sense to follow after him when people started running. Hastily wrapping her scarf around her bleeding hand, Hadley chased after them, helping up an android who tripped during their flight.

Markus, Robot Jesus himself, was hanging back, reluctant to leave everyone. His companions were attempting to move him, so Hadley snagged his sleeve as she passed him. “C’mon bud, they’re not going to stop shooting until we’re all down! Let’s move!” He hesitated, as if to protest, but after another insistent tug on his arm, he relented and followed her.

The riot police didn’t make much effort at giving chase, but no one stopped running until Jericho was in sight. Hadley staggered to a stop once she could see the massive ship from between buildings, blood loss and fatigue finally catching up to her. Her scarf was soaked through, and had begun to stick to her skin. Markus stopped beside her, seemingly unsure if he should offer help or not, and Hadley finally had a chance to look at him. The poor man had blood splatters on his face and clothes; what must have been her blood and therium from his people being shot. The bullet that passed through her hand apparently grazed his shoulder, the sleeve tainted blue, but he didn’t seem phased.

“Are you alright?” Of course he wasn’t out of breath, but his voice sounded strained. “Can you keep going?” Hadley was surprised again by the genuine concern on his face. He really did seem to care about everyone, not just androids.

She nodded, attempting to slow her breathing. “I’m good. Just need to grab my kids, and we’ll get out of your hair.” Hadley received a frown in response, and was suddenly aware that his scalp was buzzed short. Maybe he took her literally? She opened her mouth to explain the phrase, but a blur of adolescent boy hit her in the ribs. “Ow, Wes… relax, kiddo, I got ya.”

Josh and the two other androids who’d been nearest to Markus during the march walked back to where Hadley and Markus had stopped. Mira latched onto Hadley as soon as Josh set her down, silent tears streaming down her cheeks. The scrawny woman hugged both children to her, offering assurance and comforting words. Once both kids seemed placated enough, she turned to Josh. “Thank you for getting her out of there. Really.”

“Don’t mention it.” Josh offered an awkward smile. She didn’t blame him. It was probably the first time a human had thanked him for anything.

“So, uh…” Hadley addressed Markus, “We should probably go…”

“Yeah, you should.” Snapped the woman next to Josh. She clearly didn’t like humans, and had been glaring daggers at Hadley the entire time.

“North.” Markus warned. They exchanged a look, and everyone felt super uncomfortable. Josh and the blond android next to him moved in a way that made it seem as if Markus and North butted heads often.

“No, really.” Hadley spoke up again, hoping to diffuse the situation. “I get it. We’ll go.”

Josh reached for her arm as she stepped away. “We have someone who can look at your hand.” Hadley frowned at the soaked scarf around her hand. She was definitely missing a finger. Maybe if she could get back to the street fast enough, she could find it again? How long did you have to reattach a finger?

“We can take care of it.” A deep voice brought Hadley out of her musing, and she glanced over her shoulder to see Clutch approaching from the alley. Mira detached from her and ran to the big man, who plucked her up easily.

“Didn’t take you long to get here.” Hadley chuckled.

“Heard the gunshots. Figured you’d be involved.” Clutch ignored her attempts at protest, addressing Markus instead. “You should relocate. Cops know about Jericho. They’ll be looking for you, now.”

“How do you know that?” North snapped. Maybe anger was just her defense mechanism?

“They’ve got detectives looking for deviants.” The blond android finally spoke up, “They were at Stratford after our broadcast.”

“We’ve seen them, too…” Hadley agreed. “They have an android with them, right? Looks new.” Clutch nodded when she looked to him for confirmation. “Shit. This is getting really complicated… We gotta get home. Markus, right?” She motioned Clutch over to Marcus. “We’ll give you our location. You need something, we’ll help.”

Clutch held his hand out to Markus. After a beat of hesitation, he accepted the larger man’s hand. “You helped some of our people already. The three who came back to us.” Hadley nodded, and he returned the gesture. “Be careful.”

“Likewise.” Hadley patted Clutch on the back, who plucked up Wes as well, and they quickly vanished down the alley. Both kids were exhausted, and Hadley was grateful for the mountain of android next to her. She didn’t think she could carry even Mira with how dizzy she felt. Not for the first time, she felt jealous of how androids could just drink thirium to replace it. The best she could do was rest, and she didn’t have time for it.

After what felt like days of sneaking around, since the cops were now __everywhere__ , they arrived at Haven. Clutch left to put the exhausted kids to bed despite the sun still being out, and Hadley went to the ‘clinic’ to see Nana.

“Child, I should tan yo’ hide.” Nana scowled, attempting to loosen the crusty scarf from Hadley’s hand by carefully soaking an inch at a time with alcohol. Sometimes, Hadley wondered exactly who had programmed a caretaker android with a deep south accent. “How could you leave this for so long?”

“It’s not like I had a choice, Nana.” Hadley grumbled through gritted teeth. As gentle as Nana was being, every tug on the fabric sent jolts of pain through her hand. When the scarf was finally free, Hadley scowled at her poor hand. “Knew I lost a finger…”

“Might be two, honey. I don’t think I can do anything about this one. You need a doctor.” Nana shook her head, assessing the damage. The pinky was gone, and the ring finger was half way there.

“I go to the doctor, I’ll get arrested.” Hadley closed her eyes as Nana got to work. “Don’t tell anyone if I pass out, ok? Super embarrassing…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I personally hate waiting on cliffhangers, so I wrote this up almost right after finishing the last chapter. ^.^''


	5. Insecurities

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is the start of where my timeline altering kinda comes in. Essentially, I moved Markus' alone time on the rooftop to after the Freedom March and Fall of Jericho for my own purposes. Wibbly wobbly timey wimey.

Jericho was gone. It happened in the night, when that android detective finally sussed out the location of the derelict ship. Apparently the FBI got involved, and the ship blew up. The androids were scattered, survivors being rounded up into those ‘camps’ set up around Detroit. Hadley’s group, laying low after the march, didn’t learn about any of it until Markus and perhaps a hundred androids showed up in Haven. Even the deviant hunter himself was among them, much to her surprise.

Hadley’s people quickly coordinated with Markus to get the androids into an old church inside the abandoned district, setting up a makeshift workstation to help the wounded. It was genuinely surprising how many accepted her help at this point. Some of them were so stressed that she half expected self-termination at the very sight of a human.

Wiping a smear of thirium from her forehead with the arm of her sweater, she caught sight of Markus slipping from the building. She couldn’t blame him, wanting a moment of reprieve. First, the loss during the march, and now Jericho? She could practically feel guilt emanating from him. Perhaps now was as good a time as any to talk to the leader of the android revolution.

Passing her work over to her companions, she stepped out into the cold night air. It was an easy task to simply follow his footprints in the snow, then the sound of a piano, and Hadley soon located Markus in one of the empty apartment rooms, having climbed in from the fire escape. She rested against the sill, entranced by the man’s fingers as they danced over yellowed keys.

Not for the first time, Hadley found herself amused by Kamski’s work. He certainly didn’t make ugly androids, their beauty and skill beyond average humans. Markus was tall, all tan skin and freckles, with broad shoulders and more muscle than most average model androids. Definitely a prototype, and one Hadley had never seen before. Given a chance, she could likely stare at him forever.

* * *

 

Even in the dead of night, this empty part of Detroit was illuminated by the city lights. Markus had found the remains of a top floor room in the apartment complex, a wall and most of the roof missing, that offered quite the view. The room was empty, save a ragged armchair and old piano. He found himself testing the keys, and despite it’s age, the sound was pleasant. Soon, gentle notes filled the space, a melancholy song floating through the air with the delicate snowflakes. Markus lost himself to the music, pouring his feelings of guilt, anticipation, and determination into the melody.

He stopped when he felt eyes on him. Hadley was perched on the windowsill from where he’d entered, watching him with fascination. She had lost her hat at some point, her tawny hair stuck out in every direction. The cut was messy, blunt ends here and there where it appeared to have gotten too long for her liking. Her eyes were the same blue as the thirium smear on her cheek, and were bright despite the dark circles under them.

“Didn’t meant to disturb you.” Hadley spoke up, breaking him from his observations. “You play well.”

He huffed out a laugh. “Thanks.” A beat of silence passed as they continued to observe one another. “How’s your hand?”

“Ah, this?” She raised her left hand, regarding the blue and red stained bandages as if just now noticing them. It was just now that Markus realized she was missing two fingers. “I’ve had worse.” With a shrug, her hand fell back to her lap. “How about you? You’ve had quite the day.”

That brought another humorless laugh from him. “I’ve had worse.”

A shake of her head sent her wild curls bouncing. “Right. Wes saw you crawl out of the landfill. A pretty impressive feat.” Her eyes followed Markus across the room to the old armchair.

“Wes… the boy with you this morning?” She nodded in confirmation. “And the girl was..?”

“Mira. They’re fine. I… wish I could say that’s the worst thing they’ve seen…”

Markus nodded solemnly. He felt the same about himself. Guilt still gnawed at the back of his mind. Images of his people falling haunted him, thirium staining his hands. He was still struggling with everything, even his place as the impromptu leader. Someone as pampered as himself leading a charge for freedom. Carl had never abused him, instead insisting on Markus learning and thinking for himself at every chance. Why should his people follow him?

“You’re doing well, you know?” Hadley’s voice broke through his spiral of self-doubt. She had left her perch, standing now by the piano, and brushing the keys with thin fingers. “I know it doesn’t feel like it, after what happened today. But you’re doing good things. Deviancy is spreading like a virus, and more androids are realizing themselves than ever before.” She smiled at him. “So don’t go wimping out, now.”

She didn’t look at him the way his people did. He wasn’t just some beacon to be admired, but an ally in their cause. It felt like she could see everything he felt, see through to his very fears, and yet she didn’t look down on him for it. It was a relief, in a way. Jericho expected so much. “What if I fail them?”

“You’ve done more for you people in a weekend than anyone has in years.” Hadley chuckled, and Markus realized he’d spoken the last part aloud. “But we’re reaching the end game now. They’re out to eliminate your people completely, so this is kind of like a last stand.” She huffed, resting her hands on her hips. “So what’s the plan?”

Markus let out a sigh, running his hands over his face, scalp, to the back of his neck. She had a point. Connor had said as much after turning deviant. The FBI was willing to destroy every android in Detroit if it curbed this rebellion. “I need to talk to my people.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter is the final stand of the revolution, and everything after that will be new, non-game stuff. Huzzah.


	6. Chapter 6

If someone had asked Hadley where she saw herself in the android rebellion, she might have said she’d support from the sidelines. Patching up androids in an alley, or sneaking around behind the scenes, that made sense. Standing beside Markus, robot Jesus himself, behind a barricade in Hart Plaza? Not remotely on her list.

The only person crazier than her at this moment was that android hunter, Connor. He planned to waltz into CyberLife headquarters and bring an army of freed androids with him. In the meantime, Markus and his people would hold a peaceful demonstration.

It hadn’t taken long for the FBI agent to call Markus out, making a show of ‘peaceful’ negotiation for their surrender. Hadley watched them talk, ending in Markus’ adamant refusal to whatever they offered. She was honestly surprised that they let him return to the barricade, and she moved to the side as he hopped over the barrier.

“Let me guess. He asked you to give up nicely.” She muttered. Markus gave her a grim smile, confirming her thoughts. She sighed. “Shit… I hope Connor made it. I’ve got a bad feeling.”

Markus placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “Whatever happens, thank you for being here. It means a lot.”

Hadley ducked her head to hide the flush of her cheeks. “Don’t mention it.” Markus’ gave another gentle pat to her shoulder and left her to check in with the others. She stayed by the barrier, watching the FBI agent as he spoke heatedly with someone over a radio. Her sense of foreboding grew.

* * *

The first grenade landed right at Hadley’s feet. She jumped back, tackling the android next to her. She hit the ground hard, ears ringing from the sound. North appeared before her, hauling her up from the concrete and helping drag the other android to cover. Armed men were hopping over the barricade, mowing down anything that moved.

Her lungs burned with each breath of cold air. Dust and blood stung her eyes. She followed North, ducking and dodging bullets, trying to help others to cover. The ground was stained blue as androids fell left and right. Her hand was sticky with her own blood, seeping through the bandages from where she’d lost her fingers.

There were only a handful of them left; John, Simon, North, Markus, and herself, with a three or four  androids behind them. They were backed into a corner, and Hadley felt a firm hand grip her arm as Markus tried to position himself in between her and the soldiers. She stood firm at his side, and his grip moved down to her hand.

He could use the bomb, she thought, the dirty bomb North had set up. But he didn’t. A news helicopter circled overhead, and Hadley’s eyes strayed, watching it pass. Still, they hadn’t been shot. What were they waiting for? A final gesture, perhaps? One last chance at retaliation?

She started with her free hand, raising it slowly. Markus caught on when she started to raise their clasped hands, his own free hand going up. Simon followed, then Josh and the rest, raising their hands high above their heads. One officer started to lower his gun, and they were still hesitating.

Hadley’s hands were shaking. This is why she stayed on the sidelines, she wasn’t courageous. Markus tightened his grip on her hand, and she met his miss-matched eyes. Despite everything, he smiled at her, sweet and sad. Did he feel guilty for dragging her into this? She attempted to return the gesture, but the expression didn’t meet her eyes. She was granted another reassuring squeeze of her hand.

“Stand down.”

Everyone’s eyes snapped to the man with the radio. No one moved. Hadley didn’t even breathe. The soldiers looked at each other for confirmation. “Stand down.” The voice repeated, and the men began to lower their weapons and back away. Hadley’s hands lowered a fraction, and she let out a weak breath. She felt like she might faint.

“We did it.” North’s voice was so soft, almost disbelieving. Simon scoffed, the closest sound to a laugh he’d made. Hadley turned to look at them, stopping short when Markus didn’t release her hand. He was still watching the soldiers retreat, a myriad of emotions playing across his features. When he turned to face her, the most relieved smile graced his face.

“You’re free.” She whispered, a giddy laugh bubbling past her lips. She wasn’t expecting to be pulled forward, face pressed into a firm chest. His arms encircled her shoulders, cheek against the top of her head. Hadley never got over how warm androids could be.

“ _ _We’re__  free.” Markus chuckled, the sound vibrating through his frame. Paired with the steady thrum of his thirium pump, and Hadley felt her previous fears dissipate. Her hands came up, clutching his coat with trembling fingers, her own laugh muffled against him. “We’re free.”

* * *

Connor made it, and he brought an army with him. A speech was made, one that Hadley didn’t really pay attention to in her dazed state. Finally, her part was more or less played, and she felt she could finally return home. “You’re always welcome in Haven. All of you.” She told Markus, then turned to Connor. “Even you, Mr. Former Deviant Hunter.”

“Just Connor is fine.” He chuckled. “But thank you.”

“Cool. Now, unlike the rest of you, I gotta sleep.” Hadley waved her goodbyes and left at that, slipping away into the alleys as soon as she was able. Thankfully, she knew her way home by muscle memory, and made her way there essentially by sleep walking.

Wes and Mira met her at her door, followed by the rest of her motley crew. She’d never been hugged by that many people at once, and yelped much protest, especially when her bruised ribs were squeezed. She almost fell asleep in the bath, and when she finally met her bed at sunrise, she was unconscious on impact.


End file.
